Dispensing cap and closure for tube containers



June 2, 1959 L. P. GARDNER 2,889,088

DISPENSING CAP AND CLOSURE FOR TUBE! CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 12, 1957 .LEONAL P. GARDNER INVENTOR.

2,889,088 .Patented June 2,

DISPENSING CAP AND CLOSURE FOR TUBE CONTAINERS Leonal P. Gardner, Seattle, Wash.

Application August 12, 1957, Serial No. 677,482

Claims. (Cl. 222-523) This present invention relates to the general art of tube closures which provide a discharge opening and means Closures for collapsible or squeeze type tubes have posed a problem which has been variously met by a large number of tube closure arrangements. The more common closure is to have the end of the tube threaded and a female threaded cap adapted to fit the same. While this is a satisfactory arrangement as far as keeping the materials within the tube is concerned the caps are subject to loss and it becomes a two-handed operation that takes considerable time on the part of the user. Many of the other types of the tube closures that have been observed appear to have a common failing in that they do not form a conveniently operated closure and where a captive arrangement is provided for retaining the cap in close proximity to the tube this has normally complicated the ease of removing and securing the tube cap in place. Many of the other tube closures that work on the principle of moving parts, that are assembled as a single unit have the deficiency of having a sizable amount of the tube contents retained in a position exposed to the air-and this tends to harden and make the device of questionable operability.

A principal object of this present invention, therefore, is to provide a closure member which opens and closes the discharge opening of a tube container by a longitudinal movement of the cap member with respect to its associated base member.

A further object of this invention is to provide a flexible tube container with a closure member so arranged that it may be operated by the hand that holds the tube. A further object of this invention is to provide a two piece movable cap arrangement which can be secured to the dispensing endof various types of collapsible tubes and squeeze type containers.

A further object of this invention is to provide a disp'ensin-g cap arrangement which permits wiping off the excess extruded material at the discharge opening, normally by the means employed to distribute the tu-bes contents as for instance a tooth brush.

Further objects, advantages and capabilities will be apparent from the description and disclosure in the drawings, or may be comprehended or are inherent in the device.

In the drawings:

'Figure l is a perspective view, partly in section, illustrating various details of construction of this present dispensing cap, the same being shown in the dispensing V position.

2 Figure 2 illustrates the dispensing cap in the closed position, with certain parts being shown in section.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating the cap in its dispensing position.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line '44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the use of this dispensing cap when employed on a tooth paste tube. Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings, the numerals 10 and 12 designate respectively the fixed base member and the slidable closure member, which two members constitute the two parts making up my closure cap arrangement. The base member 10 may be secured to a collapsible tube or the new squeeze type plastic tubes "by various means. In Figure 2 the downwardly extending neck portion 14 is provided with an annular flange 16 and this flange seats within the recess of the neck portion 18 of a collapsible tube 20. In this arrangement a sealing member 22 encircles and secures flange 16 within its'recess and completes the installation of neck 14 of this present cap with the tube 210. I

In Figure 3 a variant form of installation is provided in which base member 10 is provided with a downwardly extending annular flange member 26 which flange feathers out at its-periphery and provides a recessed ledge so that the upper portion of a tube 28 may be accurately positioned and then secured in place by means appropriate to the materials employed. If the closure member and collapsible tube were formed of metal it would be normal to sweat or solder these members together. On the other hand if plastic materials are employed, which at present seems to be the preferred form at least to meet the publics demand then a form of cementing would be employed, again likened to the materials used in the formation of the various parts. There are certain other installations where it may be desirable to supply the closure cap as an accessory and in installing the same a screw type cap may be removed from the tube and then the form of closure shown in Fig ure 1 would be most suitable in which the skirt portion 30 is employed with interior threads 32 which would be engaged with the threads of the tube and could in this manner be secured to the tube adequately for all normal use on the exhaustion of the tube, the device could be unscrewed from the same for use on another tube.

The fixed base member 10 is provided with a closed end tube 36 which is axially disposed and near its top this tube is provided with a discharge opening 38 communicating with the interior of the tube. The exterior'of base member 10 is provided with a tapered outer surface 40 having the general form of the frustum of a cone. This shape has been adopted as being compatible with the shape of the sliding closure member 12 but also has a functional purpose in that it provides a very convenient gripping surface for use during the opening of the closure and also provides a shearing edge, as shown at 42. This edge has the function of easily disposing of any access of the tubes contents that may not be wiped olf in use and which otherwise might tend to adhere to the outside of the closure after the same is closed. Base member 10 is further provided with a substantially annular recess which forms a closed guideway for the cylindrical portion 54 of the slidable closure member 12 and provides the shearing edge member 42 just described. The slidable closure member 12 has an axial bore 50 which is of a size to provide a snug slidable fit on the exterior of the closed end of tube 36 which is a part of the base member 10. The closure member is pro vided with a conical outer surface 52 having the same general shapeas surface 40 and at its lower end-the member is provided with a cylindrical portion 54, This cylindrical portion is of a length to give bearing within 3 who... the annular groove 44 in the base member. This cylindrical portion of the closure member is provided with a discharge opening 56 which is arranged for coaction with discharge opening 33 in the base member. In the closed position of the cap, as illustrated in Figure 2, opening 56 will be disposed below opening 38 in the base member and is raised into alignment with opening 38 by moving the slidable closure member away from the container, or upwardly as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the present drawings.

The slidable closure member 12 must of necessity be provided with means limiting its movement so as to insure the matching up of the two discharge openings and further to prevent the separation of the two members and 12 after they are once assembled. It is desirable to point out at this time that the slidable member 12 must be made of material that has a degree of resiliency and preferably both members it) and 12 should be made of material having this general property so that the parts can be made separately as is normally required andthen assembled by momentarily distorting the two members which once they are assembled, provide the assurance that they cannot be normally disassembled in use.

There is a further requirement that members 10 and 12 be maintained in fixed angular position with respect to each other during the life of the unit. It has, therefore, been found convenient to provide the construction probably best illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 in which a recess, as 60 is provided in the base member 19 as part of the annular groove 44. This groove, however, is limited, at the level of section 4 to the arcuate portion substantially as shown in Figure 4. Within this recess is provided sufficient radial clearance so that a retaining ledge as 62 may be formed on the end of the skirting of member 12 for a portion of the circumference sufficient to form a sliding fit within recess 60. Coacting with retaining ledge 62 is a stop flange 64 formed as part of tube 36 of base member 10. Here again this stop flange occurs only during the arcuate portion, substantially as shown in Figure 4. It is to be noted from Figure 3 that flange 64 is bevelled so that, in assembly, as member 12 is pressed on over the tube 36, of member 10, that this bevelled portion, coacting with the bevelled portion on the retaining ledge 62, insures that arcuate portion of this skirting carrying flange 64 will cross over and be secured under the stop flange.

Method 0 operation assaoss In using this dispensing tube cap, normally the slidable member 12 is pressed towards the container to achieve the closed position and this is illustrated in Figure 2. When it is desired to dispense the contents of the tube, one convenient way is to grasp the cap end of the tube, with the second finger wrapping around surface 40. Then it will be found convenient to employ the index finger and thumb against gripping surface 52 and to spread the units apart until stop flange 64 engages the retaining ledge 62. This will place the two discharge openings 38 and 56 in alignment and it is then only necessary to have pressure applied to the contents of the tube and it will be forced out these aligned openings. The most common way of applying pressure is by merely squeezing the tube, as has been done for many years with the collapsible tube, this form of tube normally being non-restoring once it is collapsed. Certain of the plastic materials, however, permit distortion of the tube yet will restore themselves after the pressure is released, and these are normally termed the squeeze type containers; in either case pressure is placed upon the contents of the tube manually by gripping and squeezing. There are certain containers that can be filled and in so doing stretch the walls of the container so that for a period, at least, they become self-energizing during the discharge of the contents. Still furthenit is becoming quite common to pressurize the contents by including compressed gas within the contents, or at least within the container, so that as soon as the opening is provided, as by the alignment of the two discharge openings 38 and 56, the material will be discharged. As the material is discharged it may be put to use after the fashion of Figure 5 in which a tooth brush is positioned under the discharge opening so that the toothpaste, for instance, is discharged directly onto the toothbrush B and then, employing the brush with a wiping stroke across the opening, any material that would tend to form an excess on the outside after the dispensing operation will be wiped olf and used.

A preferred arrangement to facilitate this clean wiping of the discharge opening is illustrated in Figure 4 in which it will be noted that clearance surfaces have been provided at 66 and 67, and this, together with the flared shoulders at 68 and 69, makes it convenient to wipe out what otherwise might be excess material, with a tooth brush in its normal handling. t will be noted that the wall opening 38 is similarly flared and this has been desirable in preventing an accumulation of material.

In closing the tube it is merely necessary to apply end pressure on the slidable closure member 12 in the direction of the container until the bearing edge 70 of skirt 54 comes in contact with the closure stop surface 72.. This operation moves the outer discharge opening 56 downwardly and beyond communication with the inner discharge opening 38. Any of the material being dispensed that is caught Within the discharge opening 38 of course will be in communication with the balance of the material in the container and will be sealed against contact with the air and will thus be maintained in a good normal serviceable consistency. Any material left in the outer discharge opening 56 will of course have to be disposed of by wiping, however, if the brush is used, after the showing of Figure 5 there should be no surface material in this opening because of the flaring of the opening walls and the relieving of the corners of the same so that it can normally be easily wiped out. Self restoring containers, due to suction, normally draw into the tube any such excess material.

It is believed that it will be clearly apparent from the above description and the disclosure in the drawings that the invention cornprehends a novel construction of dispensing cap and closure for tube containers.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A dispensing cap and closure for tube containers, comprising: a fixed base member adapted to be secured to the dispensing end of a collapsible tube container and having an axial passageway communicating with the interior of said collapsible tube; a closed end tube formed as part of said fixed base, axially aligned therewith and having a discharge opening communicating with said passageway; said base member having an annular groove disposed immediately below said discharge opening and having the outer wall formed with a tapered top to provide a cutoff edge a stop flange disposed annularly on the outside of said closed end tube for substantially one half of its circumference; a slidable closure member disposed for reciprocation on said closed end tube and having a retaining ledge bevelled to coact with said stop flange during the assembly of the two members and to provide limiting and cylindrical alignment means having an inner and an outer contact surface adapted to reciprocate axially within the annular groove of said base member to facilitate cleanly cutting off cream being dispensed that insures. against the separation of the two members during the use of the dispensing cap; a dispensing opening formed in the wall of said slidable closure member adapted to match up with said discharge opening of the fixed base members during dispensing of the contents of the tube container.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 in which said fixed base is provided with an outwardly extending annular flange adapted to be secured in the dispensing end of a flexible container.

3. The subject matter of claim 1 in which said fixed base is provided with a skirt portion, of tubular form, which is threaded to engage the dispensing end of a collapsible container.

4. A dispensing cap and closure for tube container, comprising: a fixed base member adapted to be secured to the dispensing end of a collapsible tube container; and having an axial passageway communicating with the interior of said collapsible tube; a closed end tube formed as part of said fixed base, axially aligned therewith and having a discharge opening communicating with said passageway an annular groove formed in said base mem her around the base of said closed end tube; a stop flange disposed annularly on the outside of said closed end tube for substantially one half of its circumference; a slidable closure member disposed for reciprocation on said closed end tube; a portion of said closure member being tubular in form, adapted to reciprocate in said annular groove and having a retaining ledge at the end of its outer face which is bevelled to coact with said stop flange during the assembly of the two members and to provide limiting and alignment means that insures against the separation of the two members during the normal use of the dispensing cap; a dispensing opening formed in the wall of said slidable closure member adapted to match up with said discharge opening of the fixed base members during dispensing of the contents of the tube container.

5. A dispensing cap and closure for tube containers,

comprising: a fixed base member adapted to be secured to the dispensing end of a collapsible tube container; a portion of the outer surface of said base member formed as a frustnum of a cone to facilitate gripping the same during the opening of said closure; and having an axial passageway communicating with the interior of said coll-apsible tube; a closed end tube formed as part of said fixed base, axially aligned therewith and having a discharge opening communicating with said passageway; a stop flange disposed annularly on the outside of said closed end tube for substantially one half of its circumference; a slidable closure member disposed for reciprocation on said closed end tube and having a retaining ledge bevelled to coact with said stop flange during the assembly of the two members and to provide limiting and alignment means that insures against the separation of the two members during the use of the dispensing cap the [free end of said slidable closure means formed as a frustrum of a cone to facilitate gripping the same during the opening of said closure; a dispensing opening formed in the wall of said slidable closure member adapted to match up with said discharge opening of the fixed base members during dispensing of the contents of the tube container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,903,464 Konanz Apr. 11, 1933 2,143,263 Fisher Ian. 10, 1939 2,576,509 Hren Nov. 27, 1951 

